Advisory Board Passes Buck Limit

By DAVID RAINER

After hearing public testimony and a summary of a buck-limit committee report, the Alabama Conservation Advisory Board voted last weekend in Huntsville to implement a three-buck limit, ending decades of a buck-a-day threshold in the state.

Board member Dr. Warren Strickland of Huntsville made a motion to institute a three-buck limit, one of which must have four points or better on one side. The motion, which was approved by a 7-2 vote, left the verification of the buck harvest to the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries staff.

The vote capped the discussion of the buck limit that started at the board’s February meeting, after which Conservation Commissioner Barnett Lawley appointed a nine-member committee to study a buck limit and report to the board at the May meeting.

Stephen Ditchkoff of Auburn University, a member of the buck limit committee, presented the report at Huntsville.

“It was immediately apparent that all members of the committee felt it would be beneficial to the state of Alabama to have some sort of limit in place, some regulation that would allow more males reach an older age class,” Ditchkoff said. “It was felt that a buck limit would serve to reduce the harvest of 1 ½-year-old males and get more deer into older age classes. Without question, the committee felt that a buck limit would be biologically beneficial to the deer herd.”

            Ditchkoff said the committee discussed scenarios for a buck limit from one to four animals. One buck was considered too restrictive, while a four-buck limit would not achieve the desired effect. The committee offered three recommendations, in order of preference – a two-buck limit with no restrictions, a three-buck limit with an antler restriction of four points or better on one side for one of the bucks, and a three-buck limit with no restrictions.

“We felt if something was put in place, it would be very important that a monitoring system would also be incorporated,” Ditchkoff said.

Ditchkoff said modification of the current paper license, similar to what is done in Georgia, would be one option. Depending on the limit, the license would have slots to record each buck harvested with date and number of antler points.

“If an enforcement officer sees a hunter with a buck, the hunter will be able to show that license and documented evidence that they have checked that buck,” he said. “It’s no different than an enforcement officer checking a duck hunter coming out of the swamp.”

“There are going to be those who are opposed to (a buck limit), just as those who are opposed to a buck a day. However, this proposal is biologically sound, and we believe it is an improvement over the current system.”

Ditchkoff said benefits from a buck limit will become apparent in varying degrees, depending on the habitat and current deer herd health.

“I think some landowners are going to see benefits right away,” he said. “Some are not going to see benefits for many years. It’s going to depend on the environment around the particular piece of property. If you hunt an area where your neighbors are harvesting a high number of bucks, you’re going to see benefits quickly. If, however, the neighbors practice restricted harvest, the improvements will be modest.”

With an estimated deer herd at 1.7 to 1.8 million, Gary Moody, chief of the Wildlife Section with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, expressed concerned about any restriction on deer harvest.

“We started about 10 years ago to educate the public about the need for increased doe harvest,” Moody said. “There was a second message in there that we needed to do a better job of showing restraint on buck harvest. It was not an overt message, more of a subtle message. However, we didn’t want to confuse the message. We felt we needed to get mouths off the ground. However, since that time, we have been consistent in our message to the public about showing restraint on bucks, having a balanced buck-doe ratio and allowing bucks to reach an older age class. We think it’s been well received by the public.”

Moody said the Alabama Hunting Survey shows a significant shift in hunter attitudes.

“Our doe harvest has increased over 75,000 per year in 10 years,” he said. “What is less well recognized is the buck harvest is down more than 50,000. If our estimates are correct, we are harvesting about 25 percent of the deer herd each year. Every deer manager I’ve talked to the deer models show that a harvest of 35 percent is needed to stay at a level population.

“We very much agree that additional data is needed. We stand ready to work with the board, the committee or any group that will help us, not only with the design of the studies but to help figure out the funding to be able to carry out these studies.”

In other action, board member Grant Lynch of Talladega made a motion that places restrictions on enclosures capable of holding deer.

The motion, which passed unanimously, would close the deer season in such enclosures if any man-made point of access (ramp, platform, funnel, maze or one-way gate) allows deer to enter the enclosure but restricts their exit. Any bait placed to lure deer through the man-made opening was also restricted.

The penalty for a violation of the regulation is stiff. The deer season in that enclosure would be closed on notification of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries officials and remain closed for two years after the enclosure has complied with the regulation.

Also, the board voted to ban the use of dogs for deer hunting in Dale and Pike counties, as well as portions of Tuscaloosa, Pickens, Hale and Perry counties.

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